Monterroso: Immigration reform assures equal justice for all

Proposed changes will help preserve system of equality

By Ben Monterroso

Updated 6:44 pm, Thursday, May 16, 2013

I love this country, and I am proud of my immigrant story. America was built with labor and sacrifice, and immigrants know labor and sacrifice as well as anyone. But this country was also built with justice - justice to one another - and my immigrant story wouldn't have been possible without that, either.

Inclusive and comprehensive immigration reform captures these values and enshrines them in law. It recognizes the hard work of the millions of immigrants who have come to America seeking a better life and it does justice by requiring undocumented people to come out of the shadows and pay their dues in order to access a pathway to citizenship. And, if an amendment introduced by U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is adopted by the Senate Judiciary Committee, it will ensure that all immigrants - gay or straight - are guaranteed the same treatment under the law.

I firmly believe that passing truly comprehensive reform is a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We must seize it as a nation. I know this in my heart because I have felt the pain of inaction. Our country deserves better than injustice.

I came to this country from Guate­mala when I was a little over 18 years old. I arrived on a Friday in January of 1977. I remember that it was a Friday because, by Monday, I was already working a job. And since that very first day on that job, I have never spent a single day of my life on government assistance. But, that doesn't mean I didn't need others to give me a chance. I came to this country as an undocumented person. And every day I spent working, I hoped that one day I would get the chance to change my status - maybe even to become a citizen. Over the years, that quest came with real sacrifice. Back home in Guatemala, close family members grew elderly or ill, some even died. I couldn't go to see them, because I knew if I did I wouldn't be able to come back.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act into law. For the very first time, after years of work and sacrifice, I had the opportunity to come forward as an undocumented person. For the first time in years, I was free to visit my home country, and see the graves of the family members I had lost in the interim.

Today, nearly 30 years later, we have the opportunity to do justice again. By passing a truly comprehensive immigration reform bill - one that, for the very first time, treats immigrants exactly the same whether they are gay or straight - we have a chance to fix a broken system, secure our border and ensure that nobody falls through the cracks.